By Jamie Neugebauer, Staff Writer
Often the mark of a winning team is the ability to find a way to win when they are not at their sharpest.
Such was the case on Sunday afternoon as the Rangers pulled out a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Jr. Sabres at the Herb.
After the game, head coach John Dean was able to put the game into perspective.
“It’s a good lesson for the boys,” he said in his office.
“We had a real long talk after the game, believe me there wasn’t much celebration, but we’re learning to win.”
John Carpino got the Rangers going at 8:19 of the first period when he shoveled home a Corey Kalk rebound.
After Buffalo’s Pat Egan tied it up at 15:31, Kalk notched his eighth multi-point game of the night, firing a wrist shot from the slot past Sabres starter Parker Gahagen with 17 seconds left in the opening frame.
Liam Kerins showed his quality just over six minutes into the second when he stepped around a defender, and then slipped a perfect pass into the slot to Nicholas Geiser who made no mistake.
Nolan Sheeren’s shot from the point on the power play at 12:58 of the middle frame brought the game to within one, but the Rangers, buoyed by brilliant goaltending from Avery Allen, shut the door.
The Sabres piled on the pressure in the third period, but Allen, making his first start since Sept. 30, was sensational making 27 saves on the afternoon.
“Avery is a kid that wants to play,” said Dean.
“I thought he proved a point to the coaching staff and to the boys, and the guys played confidently in front of him.”
North York has now won five of their last seven contests, including two-out-of-three this past weekend.
They are next in action on Saturday in Mississauga, before returning home Sunday to take on the Orangeville Flyers.
